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Published online: 27 May 2019 ; The microbial composition of farmed and wild Scapsipedus icipe and Gryllus bimaculatus is presented. The aim of this study is to determine the microbial load of the two cricket species and evaluate the efficiency of processing methods (boiling, sun-drying, freeze-drying, snap-freezing and deep-frying) in reducing microbial counts. Farmed and wild species were compared based on microbial diversity. Fresh crickets had high microbial counts, bacterial and fungal populations ranged from 4.26-4.58 log cfu/g and 3.48-4.48 log cfu/g fresh weight, respectively. Upon processing, microbial counts reduced, bacterial counts ranged from 1.00-2.08 log cfu/g dry weight (boiled) and 2.70-3.34 log cfu/g dry weight (sun-dried). Fungal counts ranged from1.85-1.95 log cfu/g dry weight (boiled) and 2.95-3.51 log cfu/g dry weight (sun-dried). Deep-frying, freeze-drying and snap-freezing emerged as the best processing methods. Although there is no alarm in consuming fresh crickets, a processing method is advisable to minimize any possible risks. ; International Development Research Centre ; Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research ; Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany ; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ; Department for International Development, United Kingdom ; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation ; Government of Kenya ; Peer Review

Open Access Journal; Published online: 25 Sept 2019 ; Scapsipedus icipe Hugel and Tanga (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is a newly described edible cricket species. Although, there is substantial interest in mass production of S. icipe for human food and animal feed, no information exists on the impact of temperature on their bionomics. Temperature-dependent development, survival, reproductive and life table parameters of S. icipe was generated and integrated into advanced Insect Life Cycle Modeling software to describe relative S. icipe population increase and spatial spread based on nine constant temperature conditions. We examined model predictions and implications for S. icipe potential distribution in Africa under current and future climate. These regions where entomophagy is widely practiced have distinctly different climates. Our results showed that S. icipe eggs were unable to hatch at 10 and 40˚C, while emerged nymphs failed to complete development at 15˚C. The developmental time of S. icipe was observed to decrease with increased in temperature. The lowest developmental threshold temperatures estimated using linear regressions was 14.3, 12.67 and 19.12˚C and the thermal constants for development were 185.2, 1111.1- and 40.7-degree days (DD) for egg, nymph and pre-adult stages, respectively. The highest total fecundity (3416 individuals/female/generation), intrinsic rate of natural increase (0.075 days), net reproductive rate (1330.8 female/female/generation) and shortest doubling time (9.2 days) was recorded at 30˚C. The regions predicted to be suitable by the model suggest that S. icipe is tolerant to a wider range of climatic conditions. Our findings provide for the first-time important information on the impact of temperature on the biology, establishment and spread of S. icipe across the Africa continent. The prospect of edible S. icipe production to become a new sector in food and feed industry is discussed. ; Danish International Development Agency ; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research ; Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany ; International Development Research Centre ; Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research ; Department for International Development, United Kingdom ; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation ; Government of Kenya ; Peer Review